 Rolihlahla Mandela was born on 18 July He was later given the name Nelson by a teacher at school.  He was born in the Transkei, in the South East of South Africa. The Transkei has mountains, valleys and grasslands called savannas.

 Mandela's father Henry was a chief of the Tembu people.  When Nelson was 9, his father died.  Nelson went to a mission school, and then to college. He was good at school work. He also enjoyed boxing and running. At Fort Hare University, he studied law. One of his friends there was Oliver Tambo. Nelson left the university in 1939 for the city of Johannesburg. He went on with his studies, and became a lawyer in 1942.

 Most South Africans are black. There are also people of European and Asian backgrounds, and people of mixed race.  Dutch people set up the first white colony in South Africa in Later British settlers came. Dutch farmers called themselves ' Boers ', from a Dutch word meaning 'farmers'. They spoke a language called Afrikaans. Most other white settlers spoke English. Black people spoke Bantu languages such as isiNdebele and isiZulu.

 Britain took over the Dutch colony in South Africa became part of the British Empire. Gold was found in With gold and good farmland, the country was rich.  But it was not peaceful. Whites and blacks fought over the land. There were wars between the Boers and the British. The Boers wanted their own country.

 When Mandela was growing up, black people had little say in how South Africa was run.  The government was whites-only.  Most black people were poor. They worked as servants. They worked on farms, and in factories and gold mines.

 In 1944, Nelson Mandela joined the African National Congress or ANC. The ANC wanted black South Africans to have the same human rights as whites.  In 1948, the South African government made new laws to keep white people and black people apart. The new system was called ' apartheid '.

 Apartheid (say A-PART-HITE) forced white and non-white people to live in separate areas. Non-white people meant black people, people from Asia and people of mixed race.  A white person and a black person could not marry. Black people and white people could not share a table in a restaurant, or sit together on a bus. Black children and white children went to different schools. Sports teams were all- white or all-black, never mixed.

 Mandela led young people in the ANC. Many white people, as well as black people, spoke out against apartheid. Mandela admired Gandhi, who had used peaceful protest in India. Perhaps peaceful protest could get rid of apartheid, without fighting?  But to speak out was dangerous. In 1956, Mandela and 155 other people were arrested for treason. After a trial lasting five years, he was set free in 1961.

 In 1960, people held a demonstration against apartheid at Sharpeville, near Johannesburg. The police shot dead 69 black people. The government blamed the ANC, and banned it.  Mandela became leader of a secret army. He was hunted by the police, and had to hide and use disguises. He travelled to other countries to ask for help.

 In 1961 South Africa left the Commonwealth. Millions of people in other countries supported the anti-apartheid movement. Many nations stopped trade with South Africa. Sports teams and entertainers refused to go there.  Still the government refused to change. In 1962, Nelson Mandela was arrested again. He was accused of sabotage and plotting to overthrow the government. In 1964, aged 46, he was given a life sentence.

 Mandela was sent to the prison on Robben Island. He lost his name and became number  Mandela spent 27 years on Robben Island. He had to do hard labour. He was allowed one visitor every 6 months. He was later moved to another prison.

 Mandela became the most famous prisoner in the world. He did not give up. Even the prison guards admired him.  At last, in 1988, the South African government began to make changes. One change was to let black students into 'white' universities. From around the world, the calls got louder. Free Nelson Mandela!

 All around the world, artists supported Mandela and wrote songs to protest against apartheid and for Mandela to be remembered and freed.  Asimbonanga-J.Clegg.1999 Mandela Day- Simple Minds

 In 1990, South Africa's new President FW de Klerk set Nelson Mandela free after 27 years in jail.  Mandela and de Klerk agreed: no more fighting. Mandela called on all South Africans to work together in peace.  Mandela and F.De Klerk were both awarded with the Peace Nobel Prize in 1993.

 In 1991, Mandela became leader of the ANC. In the 1994 elections, all black people in South Africa were able to vote for the first time. The ANC won the election.  In May 1994, Nelson Mandela became South Africa's first black president.

 Another famous South African, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, called South Africa a 'rainbow nation'. Nelson Mandela also spoke of it this way. Its people were of all races and colours, working together.

 In 1995, South Africa was host for the rugby World Cup. President Mandela wore a Springbok rugby shirt. The springbok antelope is South Africa's national animal. South Africa's rugby team, the Springboks, had been all-white. Mandela wore the shirt to help bring white and black together. Sport helped to do this.  South Africa won the Cup.  The film Invictus tells this story.

 Nelson Mandela died on 5th December  He was 95 years old.  The newspaper front pages: The newspaper front pages:  From the movie « Mandela »: U2